Vending-machine.



No. 746,134. 7 PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903.-

o. J. NETH.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1903.

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PATENTED 13130. 8, 1903.- I

1 G. J. NETH.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. i903.

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'N'o. 746,134. l Patented December 8, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE J. NETH, OF WESTNEWTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO SAMUEL F. WEST AND JOHN WATSON NETH, OF WEST NEW TON, PENNSYLVANIA. V

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 74e,134, iatedDecemberS, 1903.

Application filed May 8 1903. Serial No- 156,237.- (No model) I To all whom itmay c n sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the in- Be it known thatI, CLARENCE J. NETH, a vention. l

- citizen of the United States, residing at West In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is Newton, in the county of Westmoreland and a perspective view ofa vending-machine con- 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new structed in accordance with theinvention. 5 5f and-useful Vending-Machine, of which the Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of following is a specification. the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional This invention relates to certain improveelevation of apo'rtion of themechanism. Fig.

ments-=-in coin-controlled vending-machines, 4 is a detail perspectivej'view of the slotted I and has for its principal object to provide a cylinder in which-the coins'are received and 60 device in which the number of' working parts by which such coins are moved into contact are reduced to a minimum, thus permitting with the articles to be sold. Fig. 5 is a dethe construction of the machine at reduced tail view illustrating a portion of: one of the .cost and lessening the liability of derangecoin-slots, illustrating the arrangementof the ment from wearing or breakage of the parts. slot -opening through which coins thinner 65 A further object of the invention is to prothan the normal may pass without operating vide an improved device of this character in the machine. Fig. 6 illustrates the arrangewhich the goods are delivered from the mament of one of the coin-chutes as viewed from chine through the direct intervention of the the rear of the reservoir or magazine.

-coin, the coin being delivered to a suitable Similar numerals of reference areemployed 7o receiver and thence moved while in the reto indicate corresponding parts throughout ceiver into contact with one of the articles to the several figures of the drawings. I L be delivered. 1 i The general frame of the device comprises A still further object-of the invention is to a casing 1, having a front portion in the form I provide in a device of this character for the of a transparent panel 2, which may be readpassage of coins or other articles either thinily removed when it becomes necessary to rener or of less diameter than the normal withnew the supply inithe magazine. The top 3 out operating the machine. of the casing is hinged at one end and at the A still further object of the invention is to other is provided with a suitable locking 30 provide a device which may be readily admeans for securing itiuposit-ion, the openjusted for the delivery of articles of different ing of the top permitting accessto the magashape and size and in which a single operatzine when it becomes necessary to renew the ing mechanism may be employed for the de supply or toeffect adjustment of the parts livery of articles from a number of different should it be desired to change the character 5 receptacles. V y of the goods being sold.

-A still further objectjofthe invention is to At or near the rear endof the casing is a provide a machine of this character of such plate 5,- which may be formed of'metal or other construction as to permit of the ready rematerial and'extends from side to side of the newal of the supply of goods when necessary casing,teiuninatingat a point somewhatabove 0 and to notify the customers as soon as the the bottomthereofandformingtherearwallof 9o supply becomesexhausted. i the goods-magazine. The bottom of the mag- With these and other objects in view the azine is in the'form ofa plate 6, which is bent invention consists in the'novel construction downwardly and forwardly in o'rder'to'form a and arrangement of parts hereinafter; dedelivery-chute 7, leading toward the-front of 45 scribed,illustratedintheaccompanyingdraw--- the machine. The front of the magazine is ings, and particularly pointed out in the apformed of a heavy sheet of glass, held in place pended claims, it being understood that vaby suitable guiding-flanges 10, pr-ojectinginrious changes in the proportions, form, size, wardly from the opposite sides of the casing I and minor details of the structure may be the plate being readily removed when the"" 50 made without departing from the spirit or supply is to be renewed. The lower edge of 106' the plate rests on suitable shoulders 11 at a point slightly above the bottom of the reservoir, so as to leave a discharge-opening of sufficient height to permit the passage of single articles from the reservoir. In front of the lower portion of the reservoir in the delivery-chute is a guard-plate 12, which is preferably arranged at a slight angle and may contain advertising or other matter descriptive of the goods being sold, the name of the manufacturer, or directions for operating the machine.

On the rear side of the back plate 5 are secured coin-chutes 13, which extend from slots 14 in a plate on top of the casing to a point at or slightly below the bottom of such rear plate. Each of the coin-slots is so arranged that its lower portion is in a different plane from its upper portion, the two portions being connected by an inclined way, in which is a slot or opening 15, somewhat less in width than the thickness of a coin designed to operate the machine, and when a thinner coin or other article is dropped into the chute it will immediately pass through this opening and fall to the coin-receiving drawer 16 at the bottom of the casing. At the rear of the coin-slot is placed an inclined plate or panel 17, on which may be printed advertising matter or directions for operating the machine.

Ata point below the lower ends of the coinchutes is a cylindrical tube 18, provided with a plurality of slots 19, one or more of such slots being arranged in vertical alinement with each of the coin-chutes, and said slots are of a length slightly less than the diameter of a coin designed to operate the machine, so that if received therein the upper portion of the coin will project radially from the tube, or if a coin of less diameter is inserted in the machine such coin will pass through the coinslot and will gradually work its way toward one end of the tube, where it may pass through an enlarged opening 20 to the coin-drawer. At one end of the tube is secured a gear or pinion 21, intermeshing with a similar gear 22, mounted on a crank-shaft 23, which extends outside the casing and is provided with an operating-crank 24, which may be turned to effect rotative movement of the tube. Both the rear Walls and the bottom of the magazine are slotted in vertical alinement with the coin-receiving slots of the tube, the slots being of sufficient size to permit a coin projecting from one of the slots to come into engagement with the lowermost article contained in the magazine when the tube is turned and force such article to the deliverychute, from whence it may fall to a point within convenient reach of the customer.

The machine, as illustrated, is designed more especially for the sale of articles containedinsuhstantially oblong packages, such as chocolate sticks and the like; but it may be employed for the delivery of articles of any shape and size by suitable modification in the arrangement of the interior of the reservoir. As one means of adjusting the device for the sale of articles of different length I have illustrated the employment of adjustable partitions 25 between vertical rows of goods. The lower ends of the partitions are held in place by the goods and the weights 31 usually employed for holding the goods down, while the upper ends of said partitions may be adjusted to any desired position in a grooved cross-bar 32, disposed at the top of the magazine and so arranged to permit of ready adjustment of the partitions to any position in the machine, thus providing for the sale of goods of any desired length.

In the operation of the machine a coin is inserted in one of the slots and falls to the bottom of the chute. If no coin-slot of the tube happens to be in proper position to receive the coin, the latter will be held in an upright position'between the rear wall of the coin-chute and the rear face of the articles in the magazine until on revolving the tube by means of the crank a coin-slot is brought into alineinent with the coin, the latter then falling into the slot, and as the tube continues to turn the coin is brought into contact with the goods and forces the same outwardly toward the forward edge of the magazine bottom, whence the article falls or slides down the delivery-chute to a point within convenient reach of the customer.

In some cases pendent spring-fingers 33 may be secured to the lower portion of the front of the casing in order to prevent the removal of goods from the magazine by tipping the casing forwardly, the springs being yieldable in order to permit the ready discharge of the goods without mutilation when a coin is pressing an article forward to the discharge-point.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a reservoir of a revoluble tube adapted at times to form a support for the inserted coin, said tube having a plurality of coin-receiving slots, a chute for delivering the coin thereto, and means for revolving the tube, the tube having a discharge-opening near one end for the passage of small coins or tokens which may pass through or into the tube.

2. In a device of the class specified, a reservoir or magazine having a slotted bottom, a discharge-chute communicating with the reservoir, a revoluble tube having a coin-receiving slot for receiving and holding a coin in article-engaging position, and means for revolving said tube.

3. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a reservoir or magazine, of a revoluble tube having a coin-receiving slot, a chute for delivering a coin thereto, and a means for revolving the tube and forcing the coin into engagement with an article to be delivered from the reservoir.

4. In a device of the class specified, the

combination with a reservoir, of a slotted tube, a coin-chute having its rear wall terminating immediately above the-tube'and its tending below the bottom of the reservoir, anda revolubleltube having means for receiving and holding the inserted coin in engagement with the article to be delivered.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE J. NETH.

. Witnesses:

WM. J. PEARCE, W. O. LUPPOLD. 

